Badsey Society Newsletter No 31, January 2010

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Quarterly Badsey Society newsletter sent to members. Events: Richard Phillips’ talked on DNA and Family History. His mother’s maiden name was Wells and DNA enquiries had proved that he had distant relatives descended from Thomas Welles in America. Both were descended from same ancestor who had lived in a Warwickshire village in the 16th century. Richard also found Graham Wells of Australia through DNA enquiries. Future events: tour of Regal Cinema prior to restoration; AGM followed by talk by Valerie Magan on arrival of water supply in Badsey; talk by Eve Miles from Earth Heritage Trust on Geopark Way; Whit Walk starting at Evesham Abbey bell-tower and talk by Helen Piper; Badsey Flower Show and finally chance to see contents of The Badsey Archive. We are applying for grant to Heritage Lottery Fund for our next project being Badsey’s market gardening and committee members are in process of writing our fourth publication and preparing DVD “The Last Market Gardener” together with detailed study of 1911 census. Article about Eliza Stanley, Midwife of Badsey and Bretforton. Barbara Bennett, great-granddaughter of Eliza, owns Eliza’s early 20th century Midwife’s Register. In 1841 Eliza was first child born to William and Hannah Robbins. In 1866 she married Samuel Stanley of Bretforton and around 1880 family moved there. Register does not begin until 1905 but notes in register imply that Eliza was practising midwifery as early as 1875. Eliza had more than 50 grandchildren and she would have been acting as midwife for her family prior to need to register. Some of her family are listed, daughters Emma Elizabeth Knight and Fanny Mustoe, Ellen Stanley (nee Sears), Kate Witts and Lottie Caswell. First entry in register is for first pregnancy of Mrs Alice Slade of Bretforton. Finally we have still not found out if Arthur “Badsey” Davies was the corn dolly maker. Anne King who knew his daughter, Rosalind Davies (Myfanwy) tried to find Rosalind’s relatives but without success. Committee members: Mike Lovatt (Chairman), Maureen Spinks (Secretary), Terry Sparrow (Treasurer), Will Dallimore, Ian Gibson, Jane Neill, Richard Phillips, Neil Thould.